Manufacture of dress-stiffeners



(No Model.)

I. DE V. WARNER.

-MANUPAGTURB 0F DRESS STIPFENBRS. No. 403,160. Patented May 14, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFECE.

IRA DE VER VARNER, OF BRIDGEPORT, OONNEOTIOT.

MANUFACTU RE OF DRESS-STIFFEN ERS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part Of Letters Patent No. 403,160, dated May 14, 1889.

Application led September 29, 1888. Serial No. 286,759. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA DE VER WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in the Manufacture of Dress-Stiffeners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Frequent attempts have been made to produce from bundled fibers a stiffening-blade which will serve in every respect as a substitute for whalebone. Success has been Vattained to the extent of producing stiffeningblades capable of being effectively employed for many purposes for which whalebone, horn strips, itc., have been used, as in dress-stieners, panniers, dac.; but before my invention no blade has been produced which can be effectively employed like a whalebone blade for insertion in the pocket of a corset after the corset-body has been made. One reason of the failure to produce the required article has been the difficulty of binding together a series of crooked fibers in such manner that each'shall lie substantially straight and parallel to the others and to the straight sides of the finished blade. I have discovered that by using cords or bundles in which the fibers are arranged longitudinally as nearly straight and parallel as practicable in view of their curved and crooked condition and applying a sufficient tension to two or more of such bundles of fibers and then binding them together while under such tension the fibers are all straightened and brought parallel to each other, so that the application of the binding confines each to the other. The tendency of any fibers to spring to one side is counteracted by that of others to bend in the opposite direction, so that however crooked the individual fibers may be a perfectly straight blade is produced.

Different means may be employed for applying the tension to the fibers, as will be obvious to any skilled mechanic; but I will now describe those which in practice have proved very effective, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation in section of a niachine for carrying out my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. l.. Fig. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a press for condensing and tempering the material.

The frame A of the machine may be constructed to support one or a series of similar devices, one being' shown, and it has bearings for the journals of a shaft carrying two delivery-reels, B B, and also for a reel, O, the construction being such as to permit the ready removal and replacement of each reel.

To the platform 2 of the frame, in a line between the reels B, B', and O, is secured an overlaying or thread-winding machine, D, constructed in any suitable manner-for instance, as set forth in Letters Patent to J. A. House, No. 259,15S-so that two threads are wound in opposite directions upon the double strip passing through the machine D.

Upon each reel B or B is wound a cord, a, consisting of a bundle of fibers, preferably bound together as set forth in the Letters Patent issued to /Varner and Tallman, No. 234,7 57, and the two cords from the two reels B B are brought parallel and then bound together by any suitable binding material. Thus they may be bound by threads as they are carried side by side through the overlaying or binding machine D, from which they pass as one cord to the receiving-reel O. A determined resistance is applied in any suitable manner to the passage of each cord or bundle a of fibers to the reel O, so as to create a tension upon the cords that will straighten out the fibers, bring them parallel to each other, and maintain them thus until tightly bound together by the threads from the overlaying-machine. Thus at the side of each reel B B is a band-wheel, 3, over which passes a friction or brake strap, 4, secured at one end to an eyebolt, 5, and carrying at the other a Weight, 6, capable of being varied. The reel O is driven so as to exert a draft upon the cords sufficient to draw them at the desired speed through the machine D, or the latter may have feed-rolls, as usual. One mode of driving the reel C is shown, and consists of an endless belt, 7, passing from a driving-wheel, 8, round guide-pulleys 9 9, and round abandwheel, l0, secured to the side ,of the reel O. The driving-wheel S is secured to a drivingshaft carrying a double pulley, l2, from which ban ds 13 14 pass to the pulleys of the machine IOO D, the shaft l5 being driven from any suitable source of power.

ln order to prevent the unwinding of the overlaying threads or material binding the fibers together and to also secure a better surface finish, I apply a cement or paste to such overlaying or binding material or to the surl'aee et the bundle that will cause the adhesion of the binding to the bundle of bers. Thus, as illustrating one mode of applying' cement, l use two wells or troughs, each having a pastin g-roller, lil, rotating in Contact with the traveling cord, and carrying to the surface thereotl a thin layer oi' cement that secures the bind ing material to the fibers without penetrating to any considerable extent the interstices between the fibers. Tension is thus applied independentlyto each cord or bundle of fibers, so as to straighten the same, the two bundles are brought side by side and then tightly bound together in one cord by suitable overlaying material, and the latter is then cemented to the faces of the fibers. By thus applying' tension to each bundle of fibers separately each is drawn to the extent needed to straighten its fibers, so that when brought against the other bundle the two will be perfectly parallel, and when the binding is applied the fibers will be contined in the straight position to which they were brought, and the compound cord thus produced is perfectly straight, composed oi' substantially straight parallel tibers, in contradistinction to the bent and twisted cords produced by binding together bundles ot` bers without tension, as heretofore. After the eompoun d cord is thus made (two or more bundles of ibers being employed) it is flattened by compression it'or a determined time between heated dies, the fibers when of tainpico or ixtle being thus also tempered. This may be effected in any suitable press. Thus the cord :u may be cut into suitable lengths, and the latter may be placed l'ieiiween the steamwhcated plates 2O 2l ot a powerful press, F, and held under pressure until the desired effect produced.

l do not limit myself to the form of drawing or stretching, binding, and pressing machines described, as other forms may be used in carrying out my invention.

l do not here claim the corset-stiltcner constituting the product of the method of manutactu re herein set forth, as the same constitutes the subject of a separate application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 286,760.

l. rlhe within described improvement in the art of manufacturing stillening-blades, the same consistingI in arranging Vliberslongitudinally in bundles and then bringing two or more of said bundles parallel side by side and binding them together under tension, whereby the fibers ot said bundles are bron gh t into substantially parallel straight Alines and held in this condition, substantially as set i'orth.

2. rlhe within-described process ol' forn'ling stitlening -blades, consisting in arranging fibers longitudinally in bundles and arranging two or more ot said bundles parallel side by side, binding them together under tension, and subjecting the compound bundle to heat and pressure, substantially as set forth.

3. In the manufacture of stiftening-blades, arranging fibers longitudinally in bundles, bringing two or more et.' said bundles tagether parallel side by side, binding them together under tension, coating the saine with cement, and flattening under heat and pressure, substantially as set forth.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of: two subscribing witnesses.

IRA Dit V ICR WARN ICR.

lVitnesses:

lf. S. Aunnnws, W. l). LANDON. 

